Statistical and vouyeristic link behavioral tracking and presentation tools

ABSTRACT

The present invention teaches a system for “snooping” on an Internet user&#39;s, or group of users&#39; linking behavior though a web site or related pages, and statistically compiling such information, such that it is useful for presentation as the typical or average consumer or surfer experience on that site. Various embodiments of the invention allow for the system to record temporal and spatial aspects of the experience for a target group (by income, age, surfing behavior, condition precedent, etc.) of users and to specifically identify weak links or otherwise undesired behavior from surfers by finding specific statistical deviations. The identifiable strengths and weakness of a site can be identified and presented as executive summaries in a “simulated surfing” presentation format.

BACKGROUND

Flaws in the design of a commercial website can cost an ecommerceentities millions of dollars a day in lost revenue. Missing or brokenlinks, poor mouse ergomics, deep embedding of popular pages, inadequatesearch tools, mislabeled links, bad displays, confusing symbols all canreduced efficiency in site visitor behavior and lead to lost profits. Anew type of computer, software and statistical/mechanical engineeringhas responded to these commercially important issues, known as“usability engineering.” Several usability engineering groups haveachieved near-celebrity status due to the exponential growth andimportance of ecommerce. The Neilsen/Norman group of Cupertino, Calif.have published several texts fundamental to site designed and managers,include certain texts which are incorporated by reference are UsabilityEngineering (1994), Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity(1999), and Homepage Usability: 50 Homepage Deconstructed (2001). FIG. 1shows a representation of site testing. Such testing involves the manualor automatic recording of model users.

The VISVIP (created by the National Institute for Standards andTechnology (“NIST”) allows a viewer to graphical view some aspect ofrepresented flows through site pages. FIG. 2 is a diagram of the VISVIPprogram as implemented and taught by the text Web Metrics: ProvenMethods for Measuring Web Site Success by Jim Sterne (John Wiley & Sons;2002), which is incorporated by reference. VISVIP is a powerful tool fora usability engineer in desgining a Internet site. Webtrends® is anothersoftware product offered which allows for the measurement of websiteusability and efficiency. Another useful text is Modeling the Internetand the Web: Probabilistic Methods and Algorithms, by Badio, Fasconi andSmyth (2003), which is incorporated herein by reference.

However, as can be appreciated, often the decision makers need an“executive summary” that cannot be adquately gleaned from theabove-referenced prior art. The site visitor experience either inpartial or in the aggregate may also provide researchers and decisionmakers with important information unavailble from the above-referenceprior art.

SUMMARY

The present invention helps to improve website design and economy byconveying infromation to decision makes by providing a simulation of asingular or aggregate site visitors' experience. The experience can beconveyed through a web browser simulator that included many features forassisting in identifying any target problem and difference betweenvisitors based on characterisics such as demographics, behavior on thesite and time spent between each decision making process. The inventionhas the ability to covey decision points in the web users expericencesthat have accumulated disparate results potentially identifying problemsin the site or critical points.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a sample system for testing an ecommerce website;

FIG. 2 shows a representation of the prior art VISVIP®;

FIGS. 3A-C show the artictecture of a sample ecommerce website atmultiple levels;

FIG. 4A illustrates an overview for the placement of the invention;

FIG. 4B is a closeup of the components of the invention;

FIGS. 5A-D illustrate components of the invention as they may be used inrecording and indexing visitor behavior;

FIG. 6 is a representative time line with temportal characteristics usedin the present invention;

FIGS. 7A-7C illustrates a sample interstitial process in whichinformation is collected when a user requests content;

FIG. 7D represents the time representation of FIGS. 7B and 7C;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are same representations of data as may be representedin the present invention;

FIG. 9A-9D is a sample of visitation behavior as may be represented inthe present invention;

FIG. 9E is the timeline representation of the visitation behavior inFIGS. 9A-90;

FIG. 9F is data representation of the visitation behavior in FIGS.9A-9D;

FIGS. 10A-H is a representative series of setup and simulated webshowscreens in the behavior tracking embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11A-11B illustrate the sample control setup for the webshow displayfor a behavioral embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11C shows a behavior setup method for the present invention.

FIG. 11D illustrates the results of a setup method;

FIGS. 12A-C show the statistically relevant highlighting feature of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 13A-C illustrate a sample control setup for the webshow displayfor a demographic embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 14A-D are simulated webshow screens representative of ademographic webshow display;

FIG. 15 illustrates the sample control setup for the webshow display fora time frame embodiment;

FIG. 16 representation a timeline and computation table for presentingthe webshow display in a time frame mode;

FIGS. 17A-B illustrate the split screen feature in an alternateembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 18A and B illustrate two setup screens for eavesdrop mode;

FIG. 19 illustrates sample of the setup and simulated webshow process inrecordable eavesdrop feature in the present invention with target andrandom modes;

FIG. 20A illustrates a live eavesdrop mode selection screen;

FIG. 20B illustrates a sample simulated browser for live eavesdrop;

FIG. 20C illustrates a terminal event notification screen;

FIG. 21A illustrates a statistically updated embodiment of the browsersimulation;

FIG. 21B illustrates a statistically updated embodiment (relative) withevent split screen thresholds.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a representative architecture of anecommerce Internet site is shown. The key to website “items” is locatedin 3A for illustrative purposes. FIG. 3B is a representative example ofa commercial (or portion thereof) website with a highly simplifiedstructure. The site has multiple levels or depths indicated by pageswith 4 different shapes, H (the home page), L1, with 3 pages (circles),L2, with 6 pages (hexagons), and L3 with 10 pages (triangles). Thesquare is the home page or portal page, which also may be indicated by a“little house” symbol. The long oval E, is an exit scenario, either by aspecialty instruction S(x) or link indicated by a diamond. Thesestructures may include all sorts of items like help, Amazon® one-click,check shopping cart, etc. The jump link is indicated by a special sizedor clear fill arrow.

Referring now to FIG. 3C, a “link diagram” between the levels L1 and L2and interlinks of L3. The links between L2 and L3 are not shown. The L3pages are all connect to a specialty button SB that may be a target ofan ecommerce site or an informational site, such as a sale or a clickthrough target.

As can be appreciated by the skilled artisan, FIGS. 3B and C represent“levels” in an organized schematic, but as these pages are virtual andlinked electronically, there is no requirement that there be levels perse, except that such a construction helps to illustrate the inventionfrom an organizational concept. The individiual pages and links presentan opportunity to implement the invention or record or track a “targetevent.”

Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B a sample system for implementing theinvention is illustrated. FIG. 4A shows a sample ecommerce structurewith a web server (WS) an Ecommerce engine (E), and Content Data storage(D). The invention may be implemented virtually by remote connection,but in a preferred embodiment is run with a software module on the webserver, or with a module connected to the web interface (WI). A separateretrieval and computation module (T) may be embodied in hardwareseparate from the web server (WS). Ideally, the invention will beimplemented in modules that maximize tracking and data storagecapability. The computation module does not need to be physicallypresent at any particular location. For example, the preesnt inventionmay be implemented in a subscription service or even a single useservice. Please see U.S. Published application Ser. No. 09/833,236,Publication No. 2003403331, Feb. 13, 2003 entitled INTEGRATING MEDIAFILES by Sena et. al. This publication is incorporated by reference forparticular aspects of remote or subscription computing in relation tomultimedia presentation to a user and the translation of certainmultimedia software into a universal presentation system accessible bymultiple users. The present invention may also be implemented in “offthe shelf” software formats.

Referring now to FIG. 4B a more detailed functional aspect of theinvention is shown. The retrieval and computation unit may be virtuallyimplemented into the data retrieval (R) and computation (C) units whichmust communication with each other directly or virtually. The retrievalmodule (R) must be able to access user behavior data compiled and storedon storage unit sS. Perferable the data is stored in a universallyrecognized or indexed format, but embodiments of the invention that areimplemented with the ecommerce sites may performed this function as wellas control the data storage, limiting the need for massive data storageand providing a pre-screening and cataloging function for the behavioraldata (see FIGS. 8A and 8B, below) for economical retrieval andcompilations. The computation unit C recieves instructions for datacompilation and criteria. As mentioned above the computation unit mayalso screen incoming data with a virtual screening unit (SCR), thatlimits the data recorded and optionally provides indexing andcross-referencing. For the output an optional browser translation unitBT may allow users of the invention to monitor the website beahviorremotely or other variations by providing simulated browser experiencein multiple formats.

Referring now to FIG. 5A-5D a sample behavior of 4 subsequent screensrepresents user linking behavior in a sample visit to the website. InFIG. 5A, the user is located at L1, and points to a link (indicated bythe arrow). Clicking on'the link brings up the screen/page shown in FIG.5B in the time indicated by t(x1). The user then click on the link shownby the arrow which brings up the screen/page shown by FIG. 5C in timet(x2), at which point the user clicks on the “back arrow” (on the pageas opposed to the users browser back button) which brings up the screenshown in FIG. 5D, which is also the screen shown in 5B, in time t(x3).At this point, the user clicks on speciality button SB, which forillustration purposes is a terminating event. FIGS. 5E and 5F illustratealternate ending page events, one with an exit button (oval) and theother with a browser exit (not shown) which is executed by the user bytyping in an web address or closing the browser window.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a representative time lines and recordableevent trackers that are recorded by the data gathering module in theinvention. FIG. 6 indicates that there are 5 representative timest(p)-t(4), which may include page load times t(x1), t(x2) and t(x3) andthat are matched to the screens shown in FIGS. 5A-5D, respectively. InFIG. 6, time T(0) may also be an initiating or recording event which inthis case is the loading of the page shown in FIG. 5A. In othercircumstances the initiating event will be defined by the user in thesetup software of the present invention. Any initiating event may be asubset of site visit behavior of interest such as clicking on aparticular link, or a specialty button S(x), which allows the tracker toidentify particular behavioral traits that may be troubling theecommerce site. Time t(p) is the time to the first link page load shownin FIG. 5A, time t(1) is the time to the link shown to the page loadshown in FIG. 5B. This time may include the load time for the page shownt(x1) in FIG. 5B as a subset. But the load times may be alternatelyconfigured in other embodiments. Time t(2) is the time spent on the pagein FIG. 5B, t(3) is the time spent on the page shown in FIG. 5C and t(4)is the time spent on the page shown in FIG. 5D until the terminatingevent T(e) takes place. The terminating event T(e) may define as any oneevent, a combination of events, or any one of a set of events. Thepresent illustration shows the terminating event T(e) as clicking thespecialty button SB.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7C a sample of an existing webscreen as itwould be used to collect information from a user, who may have beenindexed upon entering the site or a particular page. The user enters thepage shown in FIG. 7A and upon clicking a story link or photo forcontent is present with an information entry screen shown in FIG. 7B.This may be optional for certain content sites, but also may restrictinformation to visitors who do not enter certain demographicinformation. The user, if successful in meeting the criteria forcontinuing, which may not be needed in some embodiments of theinvention, is given content screen shown in FIG. 7C. The recording eventis the first content screen and is shown in the FIG. 7D timeline.

FIG. 8A illustrates a sample representative data table that may becompiled in statistical format the entry as shown from FIG. 6 and FIG.7B. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art there may bevarious preferences for selection among the statistical sampling of theaccumulated data of the site Visit behavior. FIG. 8B is another exampleof representative data that may be compiled in the present invention.This data is then used for compilation in the presentation format.

Of course, there are some statisitical features that result in disparateresults, and as can be appreciated by the skilled artisan by referenceto many of the texts and materials mentioned in the background that astatistical compilation may be incomplete description of the data. Forexample, a small percentage of users may actually make it to a desiredevent like a “sale” or specialty button, such as Amazons® one-clickpurchase. Thus, the user-definable data features and toleranceparameters of the present invention must be considered carefully byimplementors and administrators of embodiments of the invention. Forexample, if an administrator defines an initiating event T(0) asentering a home page and a terminating event T(e) as a purchase, withoutany other limiting criteria 99.4% percent of users may not be includedin the statistical anomaly of a purchase, thus for the 0.6% the compileddata may accurately be representative of the “average experience.”However, for the above mentioned “disparate” statistics. If T(0) andT(e) are set too far apart or a junction, the “average experience” maybe just barely so. For example on a page, a defined subset (included inthe compiled and retrieved data) of users may include 49% exiting and51% clicking on the various links (4 choices). Thus, given an equalchance of choosing the 4 links, there will be only 12½% chance of eachlink. Thus, out of the equal 5 choices the vast majority will exit andsetting the parameters to such a tolerance will result in the websimulation of exit (and maybe thus a terminating event T(e)).

Therefore, the present invention includes advanced embodiments thatallow for the pooling of a set of otherwise individual criteria tocreate a statistical snapshot of the simulated browser experience. Forexample the function for the above-referenced page could include astatistical pooling (Pool (link 1, link 2, link 3, link 4)) as a singlestatistical critera.

A more advanced feature of the invention is a dynamic statistical updateat all selection points indicating what percentage of the original poolof users as defined statistically (demographic) or by a behavioralevent, or multiple criteria are left at the selection and how may havegone a ceratin pathway. This is only in part discussed in the prior artby VISVIP. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, definingsubsets of alternate pathways in a webshow simulation must be limited toa reasonable alternative number of possibilities to be useful. Forexample if T(0) and T(e) are disparate or distant, a running tab of thepercentage of exits, back arrows, homes, revisits and stalls may beuseful, but an unlimited number of each link may be provided bystatistics or representative data, but may crowd the screen during theweb simulation. This advanced feature is shown in FIG. 21A.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A-D, a data compilation scenario is translatedfor translation into statistical webshow based on a behaviorcharacteristic in a preferred embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9A showsa target event page P(te) in which a particualr behavior of a sitevisitor will result in tracking information. In this illustration, thetarget behavior is clicking on link, mark as T(0) or an intiating event.Subsequently time and behavior is tracked for the users site visitationbehavior in pages FIGS. 9B and 9C until the terminating event T(e) isdetected on the page shown in FIG. 9D, by clicking the exit link ortyping in a new url off the ecommerce site.

FIG. 9E represents the event scenario recording timeline indicated bythe behavior shown in preferred embodiment behavior tracking. FIG. 9F isthe resulting recorded data entry for the behavior represented in FIGS.9A-D and 9E.

Referring now to FIGS. 10A-H eight representative screens of the presentinvention for a behavioral tracking in an implemented embodiment of theintvention. FIGS. 10A-D are the menu selections for choosing apre-defined behavior webshow.

Referring now to FIGS. 10E-H a sample webshow as implemented in thepresent invention which statistically “simulates” the browser experienceof the “identified visitor.” The identified visitor, for purposes ofdescribing the invention is any number (including zero) of visitors'compiled information that qualifies in the criteria definition. FIGS.10E-H represent 4 discrete screens along the continuous simualtedbrowser experience, which may be experienced as continuous by theviewer.

Referring now to FIGS. 11A-D, a definitional process as would be used inthe present invention is shown. Sample setup screens include initialscreen in FIG. 11A and general site event selection in FIG. 11B. Acorresponding flow chart in FIG. 11C is shown. In Step A the main menuscreen is loaded with pre-defined events (shown as P1, P2, P3, One-Clik,Ad bann) and general selection option in decision B. If a special eventis chosen in Step D, a user is then asked if an additional behavioralcriteria is needed in decision F. For example, for all users who use oneclik and then back out of the page, two criteria are used (this is shownin FIG. 11D). If no additional criteria is need then the menu willproceed to processing to defining an Initiating recording event and aterminating event, steps R and Q, respectively.

If the general menu is selected in decision B, the general site layoutis presented in step K, bringing up the menu screen represented by FIG.11B. The user then selects a page (or link) in step L. The page is thenpresented with all available visitor options such as links, timing,specialty buttons, etc. and the user selects the available page optionsin Step M. The user is prompted to review this behavioral criteria inDecision N, which also is checked for viability. If it is not viable,the user is informed in step P and prompted to select a page from themenu in FIG. 11B. The user is then asked if more behavioral criteria isneeded in decision F.

Referring now to FIGS. 12A-D, a highlighted feature presentationdisparity in a webshow presentation.

Referring now to FIGS. 13A-13C, a sample menu selection for the webshowstatistical choice. FIGS. 13A and B are the same as FIGS. 8A and Bexcept the user choose the statistical option in screen 13B. Thecriteria is chosen at FIG. 13C from available options, in this case“age: 25-34” C1 and income “100000+” as the second criteria. The timerange is displayed for the benefit of the user.

Referring now to FIGS. 14A-D, a resulting demographic statisticalwebshow simulates 4 sample screens in a simulated browser experience forthe chosen demographics in FIG. 13C over the target time range. Thesescreens are much like those discussed in FIGS. 10E-H above but are basedon user characteristics if they are available.

FIG. 15 shows the time elapse aspect as it applies to FIGS. 10E-H andFIGS. 14A-D in sample embodiment. As shown in the figures the inventionhas the optional embodiments in which the user can speed up, slow down,skip a sample action or stop the simulated browser at any point. Theuser is also presented with the real time multiplier to understand thereal-time aspects of the visitor criteria.

FIG. 16 shows the time range criteria embodiment of the invention aswould be entered into a sample control screen. The time criteria may beset to a setup default (last 4 hours, etc.) or will be used alone or inaddition to any other available criteria of behavior and/ordemographics. The time range may be relative or absolute as, can beappreciated by those skilled in the art.

FIG. 17A shows a split screen webshow device embodiment of theinvention. The split screen statistical identifier is determined bythresholds set by the user of the WEBATRON® if they wish to identify aselected subset of visitor behavior among a sub target group that resultin disparate behaviors that are discussed above and can be be understoodfrom the back ground references. These statistical anomalies arediscussed above with regard to FIGS. 8A and 8B and is shown in FIG. 21Bas defined thresholds TH1, TH2 and TH3 (8, 4 and 1 percentrespectively). In this case, if any more than 8 percent of the usersperform an alternate event at any one decision point such as a page fullof links, (other than the statisical average or majority) the screenwill split and allow the viewer to compare the two sets of behavior. Asshown by FIG. 17B the two screens may also be split again. The viewermay eliminate a screen without readjusting the threshold. As can beappreciated by those skilled in the art, the threshold levels to createthe split screen scenario may be defined in term of absolutes(percentage of visitors from the initial event) or relatives (percentageof visitors remaining) statistically in the current page.

Referring now to FIGS. 18A and B, an eavesdropping embodiment of theinvention is shown. FIGS. 18A and B represent the menu screens forchoosing this feature which may allow for real time viewing(doppleganger mode) or specific or random recorded mode. For example, aparticular visitor's behavior may be of interest to the researcher andhave allowed cookies to be placed on the their computer so that they maybe identified upon entering the site. FIG. 19 shows a sample flow chartfor implementing this eavesdropping mode in a recorded version. Thetarget identifier can be indexed at step TD if certain desired criteriaare met. The recordable criteria decision at decision TF is similar tothat discussed above of for the other three (and combinations thereof)selection embodiments. The random selection step RC uses an identifierfrom a random number to attempt to include visitors without preferenceto any type of profile. Thus steps RC (random selection), Rb index ofrandom selection, RE characteristics of random selection and RF(recordation of visitation behavior) may be used in combination with anyother feature or embodiment of the invention without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention.

FIG. 20A allows the user to select from among the active visitors thatcan FIG. 20B shows that the live (doppleganging) mode (which cannot beaccelerated for obvious reasons). FIG. 20C shows a special notificationscreen upon a terminus or terminating event as described above.

1. A method for tracking and presenting information regarding thebehavior of a plurality of users on a series of web pages, include theacts of: displaying an initial content menu screen; prompting a contentuser for statistical information when said content user chooses adesired link and storing said information on an electronic database;returning to a first content screen including links to a plurality ofcontent screens after said content user has successfully enteredinformation; recording said users' choices of links from first contentscreen as long as said users' choices are recordable; replaying saidrecording of at least one of said users' choices in the perspective ofsaid user in a browser simulator.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1,further including the act of recording the time said user takes betweeneach link.
 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said replayingstep include replaying a plurality of users'.
 4. The method as recitedin claim 3, where said replaying stepsincludes selecting a criteria fromsaid statistical information entered by said user.
 5. A method forpresenting a statistical amalgam of link visitation behavior, includingthe steps of: indexing at least one site visitor; detecting anactivation event caused by said at least one visitor; recording at leastone action of said at least one visitor, said recording being stored inaccessible electronic storage; selecting an index criteria, saidcriteria based on a criteria action from said at least one recordedaction; recalling all stored actions from all indexed recorded datamatching said index criteria; statistically compiling said recalledstored actions; presenting said statistically compiled actions into atleast one browser simulation on a computation device.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, wherein said indexing step includes said timing of said subactions.
 7. A system for studying the behavior of visitors to anInternet site including: an indexing system for identifying at least onevisitor; a event initiation module for triggering the recording of thebrowser behavior of said at least one visitor; an event terminationmodule for terminating the recording of said browser behavior; datastorage coupled with said internet site; a behavior organization modulecoupled with said data storage, capable of retrieving selectedrecordings from said at least one recording and compiling datarepresentative of at least one visitor's browser behavior, wherein saidbehavior organization module uses at least one criteria to select; and abrowser simulator capable of taking data from said behavior organizationmodule and presenting an accurate simulation of said compiled data.